The Washington critic., 1887-12-15
A CURIOUS FACT.
Few Colorcd People Seek Lodgings In the
station House In Winter.

StutiOn uOuNe III WINTER.
The hands of the station house clock
indicated that midnight was near. BE
hind the high wooden rail before which
so many hapless wrong-doers had stood,
the station keeper was sitting trying to
keep awake by perusing one of Rider
IIaggard's thrilling oxaggcrations, while
in the sitting room n stalwart officer and
Il Critic reporter were engaged in u
sleepy game of cards that threatened to
end in snores. Outside cold wind was
blowing the still colder rain that was
falling in every direction and especially
into the faces and down the necks of be-
lated pedestrians and tired, policemen.
Suddenly the outer door of the station
opened, letting in rush of wind and
rain. \ shivering colored man attirel
in Il threadbare coat and a pair of ragged
and muddy trousers entered and timidly
asked the station-kceper if he might OBJ
tain nights lodging. The latter sleep
lily asked the necessary questions, and
after writing the answers in the lodgers'
book, led the way to the "Tramps'
Rest" where the fricndless African was
thankful enough TO pillow his weary
head on the hard board and get few
hours of undisturbcd slumbcr such as
he probably had not experienced for
many a day.
The entry of the negro had thoroughly
awakened the policeman and the re-
porter, and the latter was putting on his
overcoat MS Il preparation towards de-
parture, when the station-kecper came
back iingling his keys.
"That's the first colored man that's
applied for lodgings here for two weeks,
and.we've had three and four white men
every night. It's strange how so few
colored people apply for shelter. ! don't
exactly understand it, and I'vc thought
over the thing time and again. It's IL
question that Henry George or DR.. Me-
Glynn ought to consider; and maybe
Herr Most himself would not be going
out of the way if he pondered over il n
little. Yes, sir, | tell you that this
question is not as trivial as You may
think. It's a question of Social
Science" Now, since the cold season
commenced, this station has sheltered
seventy-two persons, and, out of that
number, only nine were colorcd. That's $
something startling, when YOU come to
consider it. Eight white tramps to
every one colored ~ The station-kceper
paused after this long speech and gazcd
at his audience, to see what effect his
words had upon them.
"Maybe the colored people are afraid
to come to the station?" venturcd the
policeman, laughingly.
"No, that's not it at ALL" said the
station-keepcr. II t':,ak / understand
some of the reasons, but they're not
very strong ones. Maybe you noticed
that the majority of workhousc inmates
in summer are colorcd. Well, it's so, II
you haven't. And in winter there is
scarcely Il colored man confined there
| asked u number of persons about it,
but they couldn't tell me the reason.
One colored man did say that ii was be.
cause colored men were sharper than
their white brethren and never commit.
ted workhousc oilcnscs after the cold
Weather sets i'll, but that was Il prcjudiced
view of the case. / think that the
reason that colored men so very seldom
turn tramps is because they are SC
domestic and like to stick in one 10.
cality. Very few darkies leave the
place where they were born, while
white men very seldom stay in the same
place all their lives. This may be the
reason, but | wouldn't stake anything
valuable on it,"
"Oh, every darky knows every other
darky," chimod in the policeman,
''and when one gets stranded in strange
place he doesn't have to apply at q
station-house, but readily finds some
hospitable friend of his own color who
keeps him for the night. That's it in d
nutshell, eh?"
81 don't know, don't know" said
the station.keeper musingly. "1ts 4
question for greater minds than mine
Maybe Henry George could tell and
maybe he couldn't"
"rll ask him if he ever comes tc
| Washington" said the reporter, as h,
passed out into the rainy night.